The big trip for our summer thus far has been visiting our friends in southern Spain. Enjoying the beaches, exploring a few cities, and venturing into Portugal were all part of the itinerary.
The first stop, after a few days of enjoying our friends company and taking in the warm, sunny beaches, was to Seville, Spain. This city is the fourth largest in Spain and is located in the southwestern corner of the country. The city itself is well over 3,000 years old has a strong medieval and renaissance heritage with some Arabic thrown in for good measure (thanks to the Moores....not the Moops, for those Seinfield fans out there).
Andrea ready to explore.....
The Torre del Oro (Gold Tower). Once a watch tower where a chain was strung across the river to prevent boats from traveling in the river port.
Palace of San Telmo, headquarters of the Presidency of Andalusia.
University of Seville
The impressive Plaza de Espana built for the 1929 Expo...
Some views from the Parque de Maria Luisa, the beautiful park that resides next to the Plaza de Espana....
Plaza de America inside Maria Luisa Park.....
The tiled Province Alcoves along the walls of the Plaza de Espana....
A birds-eye view of the Plaza de Espana....
Plaza de Toros...the bullfighting ring.
Inside the ring. What I couldn't imagine was sitting in these seats for up to 6 hours in the heat. On our tour the temperature was pushing 113 and we appreciated the shade and cold water.....
The Adriatica building....
A tour of Seville Cathedral was a not only impressive, but a great way to escape the heat....
When you step inside you immediately appreciate the sheer size of the cathedral....it was the worlds largest cathedral when construction was completed in the 16th century. Today it is the third largest cathedral in the world.
Tomb of Christopher Columbus....
Impressive architecture found on the ceiling.....
The view from Giralda Tower, part of the Seville Cathedral
The courtyard of the Seville Cathedral that is filled with orange trees.....
Directly facing the Seville Cathedral is the Alcazar, a royal palace that once served as a Moorish fort that today is filled with several unique gardens.
The architecture throughout was amazing....
The gardens....
Baths of Lady Maria de Padilla, the official bathing area for the royalty...
...more of the gardens...
..leaving the Alcazar and looking into the Seville Cathedral.
Seeing all the sights on the list, and losing a few kilos in water from all the sweating, we made our way to the coast of Portugal for a few days of relaxing on the beach. Our destination was Lagos, Portugal....a fine little city located on the Atlantic Ocean along the southern tip of the country.
Assume the position.....
Our chosen location to waste away an afternoon spent reading, relaxing, and perhaps a siesta or two.
The sunsets were amazing.....
Oddly enough, Portugal was taking on Spain in the Semifinals for the Euro Cup.....and watching the action in this beach-side establishment was the perfect venue. Sadly, Portugal lost in a shoot-out....
The heart of Lagos....
Andrea taking a break from the heat and enjoying the moment.....
One of the things you must do should you ever find yourself in Lagos, is to take a boat tour of the nearby cliffs that stretch along the southern edges of the Atlantic. This is one time in life where you want to be in a small-sized boat so that you can enjoy all the caves and arches found in the cliffs.
Of course the old city is fun to explore as well. You'll find plenty of restaurants, bars, and night clubs to get your late night boogie on.
After a few days in Portugal, we headed back to Spain with the thought of visiting one last city: Cadiz. As the sign says, the city is known as the 'smiling city'.....
Cadiz Cathedral
Plaza de Las Flores
Plaza de San Francisco
One of the many long, narrow roads that are common throughout Cadiz.....
A quick boat ride back to car, a fun last evening with our friends, and our week-long vacation was complete. Spain has so many more sights to see and we wish we could have spent a few more weeks exploring....but that job thing can be quite an obstacle when it comes to such adventures. We're not worried though....we know Spain will always be there waiting for us to enjoy....and enjoy we will with all the great weather, delicious restaurants, and inviting beaches. Next time however, we may want to 'tan up' before we go.....we were the only two people on the beach with bleached-white legs.
